Rotary press with interruptable and removable print roll

ABSTRACT

In a machine for printing a length of fabric between a backing cylinder and one or more print rolls disposed around the backing cylinder means are provided for connecting a print roll to rotary drive means after the print roll has been placed in the machine and for disconnecting it without removing it from the machine. This is accomplished by providing support means movable toward and away from the backing cylinder and defining sleeves, through one of which extends a reciprocal driven shaft which is adapted to engage an end of the print roll mandrel or journal, and through the other of which extends an axially reciprocal shaft by which the print roll assembly and driven shaft may be adjusted in position axially.

United States Patent l0l/248X 101/248 101/178 James Reid Johnson2,893,310 7/1959 Johnson Stonington, Conn. 3,182,590 5/1965 Johnson829,056 3,227,078 1/1966 Johnson Primary Examiner-.1. Reed FisherAttorney-John W. Hoag Inventor AppLNo. [22] Filed May29,l969 I45]Patented Oct. 12, 1971 {73] Assignee The Johnson Fast Print MachineCorporation Brooklandville, Md.

I54] ROTARY PRESS WITH INTERRUPTABLE AND REMOVABLE PRINT ROLL 9 Claims,5 Drawing Figs.

ABSTRACT: In a machine for printing a length of fabric between a backindi sposed around the backing cyli connecting a print roll to rota asbeen placed in the in without removing it from the machine. This thebacking cylinder and definin r0 u m oi Cnu m ys 1 m mc dx.w m n n ma m wwl u tu .m m r h 1 f 0 m dhm t 6 0 h nm 3 hC e .l w h a w M y eumb S T NW A P S SE e T A e rT m a m T l N U M 5 2.821,)13 2/1958 Johnson 101/178justcd in position axially.

. PATENTEUiDCT 1 21971 sum 2 or 3 INVENTOR. James flea] .lalms'onPATEN'TEU um I 2 l9?! sum 3 or 3 illl ROTARY PRESS WITH INTERRUP'IABLEAND REMOVABLE PRINT ROLL This invention relates to a machine forprinting a length of fabric passed between a backing cylinder and one ormore, usually several print rolls spaced apart around the periphery ofthe backing cylinder. In such machines, colors used for printing aretransferred to the print rolls from color trays, usually referred to ascolor boxes, by rotatable transfer means usually in the form ofcylindrical brushes or cloth-wrapped rollers.

Formerly the print rolls were individually movable a short distancetoward and away from the backing cylinder, as for example to introduce alength of fabric between the print rolls and the backing cylinder, bymanually operated mechanical means. ln my US. Pat Nos. 2,821,913, issuedFeb. 4, [958, and 2,892,310, issued July 7, 1959, the use of nonmanualpower means was introduced by which the print roll assemblies,comprising a print roll and supporting mandrel or journals andassociated color box and transfer member, could be moved toward and awayfrom the backing cylinder individually or together, or one assemblycould be held out of printing position although remaining in fit whileother assemblies were in printing position to provide for the printingof valences, for example, by what is referred to as jump printmg.

The patents referred to above also taught the conversion of a color boxfrom its operative position to a cleaning position, independently of theprint roll, and introduced means for moving the color box relative toits print roll and rotatably upsetting it to accomplish this teaching.

In the device of these patents each print roll was rotated by a drivenshaft which was not axially movable and axial adjustment of a print rolland its assembly was accomplished by providing the driven shaft and theprint roll mandrel with intermeshing gears of sufficient width to permitthe gear on the mandrel to be moved axially relative to the gear on thedriven shaft without disengaging the gears altogether, althoughobviously such movement changed the length of the portion of the teethof said gears which were in contact and transmitting the driving force.With this arrangement it was not possible to disconnect a print roll andits mandrel from the rotary driving force except by lifting the printroll and mandrel out of the machine and thereby moving the gear on themandrel out of contact with the gear on the driven shaft.

By this invention means are provided including support means for eachprint roll assembly by which a print roll journal or mandrel may bequickly disconnected from its rotary driving force without removing theprint roll and its journal or mandrel from the machine, and while in themachine may be operatively connected to a rotary driving shaft which isitself movable axially with a print roll assembly to effect lateralmovement of a print roll assembly, as for aligning it with other printroll assemblies.

The invention will be best understood by reading the followingdescription in connection with the drawings in which,

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a machine embodying the invention,

FIG. 2 is a front elevation of the structure shown in FIG. 1,

FIGS. 3a and 3b show in front elevation, partly in cross section, andenlarged, a portion of the structure shown in FIG. 2 including the printroll and mandrel and their support, drive and axial adjustment means,and

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of one of the bearing housings which receivethe bearings carried adjacent the ends of each print roll mandrel.

In the embodiment of the invention described herein a backing cylinderis mounted for rotation between support members 12a and 12b which arespaced from the ends of the backing cylinder. A pair of support armsindicated generally as 14a and 14b are supported at one end by themembers 12a and 12b respectively, and project outwardly, radially, orsubstantially radially, with respect to the backing cylinder. Thesupport arms 14a and 14b are disposed in parallel, in the same plane,and it will be understood that in machines of the kind described forprinting lengths of fabric there will ordinarily be a number of pairs ofanns projecting from the members 12a and 12b respectively, the number ofpairs of arms corresponding to the number of print rolls employed.

Each of the support arms 14a and 14b comprises an intermediate portion16, defining a longitudinally extending slot S and inwardly angledportions l8 and 20, the portions 18 and 20 being parallel and serving tosupport between them a bar 22. There is thus a support bar 22 extendingin parallel relation to each of the support arms 14a and 14b and asshown the support bars 22 are spaced inwardly from the support arms 14aand 14b.

Bars 22 provide means on which members 230 and 23b carrying an entireprint roll assembly, are mounted for reciprocal movement toward and awayfrom the backing cylinder. The members 23a and 23b comprise the sleeveportions 24a and 24b, which extend through the slots 16 in the supportarms 14a and 14b, and the depending portions 26a and 26b which areapertured to receive and slide on bars 22 respectively. The members 23aand 23b are guided and given lateral support by the angle members g-land g-2 projecting from the support arms 14a and 14b respectively.Spaced inwardly from the sleeve portions 24a and 24b are the supportplates 27a and 27b and fixed to the inner faces of members 27a and 27bas by screws s are the lower halves 28a and 28b of the housings whichreceive the bearings 26a and 26b. The upper halves 29a and 29b of thebearing housings are hinged to the lower halves as by pivots p and maybe easily swung up to open position to permit the bearings 26a and 26bto be placed in the cupshaped lower halves or lifted from them.Cooperative interengaging means are provided for interlocking thehalves. A pin m is shown on the lower halves engageable respectively bya pivoted hook n on the upper halves.

Print roll 30 is shown mounted on a mandrel 32 on the ends of which arethe bearings 26a and 26b. The print roll could of course be providedwith journals extending outwardly from its ends but use of a mandrel ispreferred since hollow center print rolls of different diameters may besuccessively mounted on a keyed mandrel. Support plates 27a and 27bextend outwardly away from the backing cylinder and are inclineddownwardly with respect to the support arms 14a and 14b and the bars 22.A washer-receptacle 38, disposed between plates 27a and 27b, issupported from the support plate 27b, and by the piston rods 61a and 61bof the power cylinders 60a and 60b.

The members 23a and 23b support, and carry with them during movementstoward and away from the backing cylinder on bars 22, an assemblycomprising a print roll 30 and the mandrel 32 on which it is mounted, acolor box 34, and a color transfer medium shown herein as a brush 36mounted for rotation on journals which extend through the ends of thecolor box, a washer-receptacle 38, and the support plates 27a and 27b.

On the outer face of support plate 27a one-half 42 of a Gilman slide issupported. The other half 40 of the Gilman slide is bolted to the innerend of the sleeve portion of slide 23a. The two halves of the Gilmanslide are interconnected by the dovetail M. A power cylinder 44 isattached to the outer end of the sleeve portion 24a of member 23a and apiston rod 46 from power cylinder 44 is screwed into the end of a shaft48 which extends through the sleeve portion 24a of member 23a and intoGilman slide half 40. Shaft 48 is keyed to said sleeve portion 24a foraxial movement within said sleeve portion. When the piston rod 46 isactuated by power cylinder 44 the Gilman slide, the support plate 27a,the bearing housings 28a 29a and 28b, 2% the bearings b, the mandrel 32and print roll 30 supported between them, the support plate 27b, thedriven shaft 54 and its retracting power means 58, can all be adjustedin position axially of the print roll.

The driven shaft 54 is urged into engagement with the opposed end ofmandrel 32 as by spring 56 and may be quickly disengaged by actuation offluid cylinder58 the piston 60 of which is coupled to the driven shaft54as for example as shown at 62. Attached to the outer end of thesleeve-defining portion 24b of member 23b is a worm gear housing 63 anddisposed within the housing is worm wheel 64 which may be driven fromany suitable power source through a worm w on a splined shaft 65. Shaft54 and the piston rod 60 and coupling 62 extend through the hub of wormgear 64 and are movable axially therein, shaft 54 being keyed within thehub so that it is rotatable with said worm wheel and also movableaxially relative to said wheel. Within the sleeve portion 24b of member23b and keyed to it for relative axial movement is a sleeve 66 which atits inner end has the bearing 68. The reduced inner end of shaft 54extends through bearing 68 and at its inner extremity has the head 70carrying teeth which engage teeth within a cup 72 disposed within theopposed end of mandrel 32. Spring 56 is retained between an internalshoulder of sleeve 66 and a cup-shaped member 74 disposed between shaft54 and the sleeve 66 adjacent bearings 68.

Movements of the print roll and its assembly toward and away frombacking cylinder are provided and controlled respectively by fluidcylinders 78a and 78b which extend through and are supported by theportions 18 of arms 14a and 14b. The said cylinders are connected to thebearing housings 28a and 28b respectively by the piston rods 80a and8012. It will be understood that when the said power cylinders areactuated the whole print roll assembly and its support means, and thesubassembly including color box brush and washerreceptacle and theirsupport means, will be moved together along the support bars 22.

The color box and brush are not only movable with the print roll, towardand away from the backing cylinder, but are also movable a shortdistance toward and away from the print roll. Each color box and brushcombination is suspended between power cylinders 84a and 84b which inturn are supported on the plates 27a and 27b. Power cylinders 84a and84b are connected to the color box subassembly by straps 86a and 86bpivotally connected to brackets 87a and 87b. Strap 86a is connected to abracket 87a at one end of the color box, and strap 86b is connected to abracket 87b at the outer end of the clutch 88 by which drive means andthe color transfer brush 36 may be connected and disconnected.

The cylinders 84a and 84b have the piston rods 85a and 8512 the outerends of which are fixed to brackets f projecting laterally from each ofthe support plates 27a and 27b so that it is the cylinders 84a and 84bwhich move while their piston rods 85a and 85b remain stationary.

The washer-receptacle 32 is movable up and down from an initial positionspaced below the color box 34 and disposed to receive and drain liquidspilled from the color box during a first step of washing elements ofthe machine to a position in which it cooperates with the fullyoverturned washer-receptacle to provide a closure in which a second stepof washing the color box and brush is performed, as is fully describedin copending application Ser. No. 829,055 filed May 29, 1969.

The washer-receptacle may be of the general kind shown in U.S. Pat. No.3,227,078, Jan. 4, 1966 and preferably of the kind shown in saidcopending application, having within it (not shown herein) a sprayheader, a connection for receiving cleaning fluid under high pressure,and an outlet to a drain.

The washer-receptacle is raised and lowered on guide rod 94 by powercylinders 90a and 90b. The right-hand end of the washer-receptacle asviewed by the reader is supported by hinge means 92a, 92b, which allowsit to be swung outwardly at a right angle to its operative position asis more fully described in copending application Ser. No. 829,049 filedMay 29, 1969. The left-hand end of the washer-receptacle is unsupportedexcept by the power cylinder 90a and its piston rod 91a but a rest 96 isprovided on which the left end of the washer-receptacle sits when inoperative position. The rest 96 is shown extending from a bracket 98depending from support plate 270.

Previously a print roll and its mandrel were separated from a rotarydriving means by separating a driven gear on the mandrel from a drivinggear, and this was accomplished by lifting or moving the mandrel awayfrom the driving gear. Being able to retract the driving means away fromthe driven mandrel without displacing the mandrel and the print rollthereon has very important advantages. For example it greatlyfacilitates setting a set of print rolls or pattern" in rotary fit bythe method and means disclosed in my copending US. Pat. application forImprovements ln Templet For Use In Placing A Set of Print Rolls in Fit,Ser. No. 795,94l,filed Feb. 3, 1969. With the rotary drive meansretracted a print roll is free to rotate as soon as it is set into themachine and it can be quickly turned by hand to bring the pitch mark onthe roll into alignment with the pointer on the templet. When the pitchmark and the templet pointer are aligned the drive can be connected tothe mandrel in a fraction ofa second. When it is desired to remove aprint roll and its mandrel from the machine the drive can bedisconnected in a fraction of a second whereas previously the fittingand driven gear had to be removed from the mandrel shaft by hand andstored for future use.

If it is desired to omit one of the print rolls in a set, as for examplea roll used to produce a blotch background effect, this can beaccomplished simply by backing off the blotch roll and retracting theshaft 54 by which that roll is driven, The other rolls in the patternmay continue printing while theblotch roll stays in the machine, backedoff and not turning or printing.

What I claim is:

1. In a cloth-printing machine comprising, a backing cylinder, a pair ofspaced-parallel support arms extending radially with respect to thebacking cylinder, each having a longitudinal slot and each comprising asupport bar parallel to the slot and spaced laterally from the slot, apair of support and slide members each comprising a sleeve and a portiondisposed at a different level and apertured in a direction at rightangles to the sleeve to receive and slide on the said bars respectively,said sleeves extending parallel to the backing cylinder in axialalignment and being adapted to extend through the slots in the supportarms, means supported by said slide and support members on which theprint roll mandrel may be placed and from which it may be lifted andremoved from the machine, an axially movable drive shaft extendingthrough one of the sleeves in axial alignment with one end of themandrel, means for rotating the drive shaft, and means for moving thedrive shaft into engagement with the mandrel and for moving the driveshaft out of engagement with the mandrel.

2. The structure claimed in claim 1 in which each of the support armscomprises an elongated intermediate portion, defining the longitudinalslot through which the sleeve of the support and slide members extend,and end flanges extending substantially normal to the intermediateportion, the bars being supported between the flanges of said membersrespectively in spaced-parallel relation to the said intermediateportions of the arms, and below the slots defined by said intermediateportions respectively.

3. The structure claimed in claim 1 in which the intermediate portion ofthe support arm has an angle member with a flange thereof extendingdownwardly adjacent the slot in the support arm, providing a stop andguideway within which is received a projection extending up from theperiphery of the sleeve portion of the support and slide member whichextends through said slot.

4. The structure claimed in claim 1 in which the means for axiallymoving the drive shaft out of engagement with the mandrel is a powercylinder and piston, the piston having at its forward end means forengaging the opposed end of the drive shaft, and in which the forwardend of the drive shaft extends through an inner sleeve which extendspartly into and is supported by one of the sleeves defined by saidsupport and slide members and its other end extends into and issupported by a support plate which is connected to and supported by saidinner sleeve and is also connected to and supports a bearing housingadapted to receive a bearing carried on one of the mandrel ends, theinner end of said inner sleeve having therein a hearing through whichthe drive shaft extends, a worm gear housing supported at the outer endof the support and slide member, and an annular worm gear disposedwithin the housing and comprising a hub defining an axial passagealigned with the sleeve of the support and slide member and with theinner sleeve, the outer end of said drive shaft being disposed withinthe hub of the worm gear and keyed to it by axially extending key means,and means projecting from the outer end of the drive shaft forengagement with means carried at the forward end of the power cylinderpiston rod.

5. The structure claimed in claim I in which the end of the mandrelwhich is remote from the drive shaft is received in a bearing supportedby a second support plate which is connected to one of two dovetailedmembers which are interengaged for rotary movement but slidable one withrespect to the other to provide adjustment of the mandrel in a planenormal to the plane of the mandrel, the other of said dovetailed membersbeing connected to the other of said support and slide members, a shaftextending through the sleeve of the other of said support and slidemembers with its inner end extending into the other of said dovetailedmembers, the outer end of said shaft being connected to the piston rodof power cylinder means by which the mandrel and a print roll thereonmay be adjusted in position axially.

6. The structure claimed in claim 1 in which the pair of support andslide members support and carry with them during their movements on saidbars toward and away from the backing cylinder, an assembly comprising,a pair of support plates spaced apart and each carrying a bearinghousing to receive bearings carried at the ends of a mandrelrespectively, a print roll and the mandrel by which it is mountedbetween said bearings, a color box and color transfer means suspendedbetween the support plates, a washer-receptacle supported between thesupport plates and below the color box, the drive shaft, a worm gearhousing connected to one of the support and slide members through whichthe shaft extends, and the power cylinder and piston which is attachedto one end of the drive shaft, an inner sleeve the outer end of which isslidingly disposed within said one of the support and slide member, oneof the support plates being carried at the inner end of said innersleeve and the other of said support plates being connected to onemember of a two-part dovetail member the parts of which are movabletogether for rotation and are relatively moveable for adjustment of theheight of a mandrel end, the other member of said two-part member beingconnected to the other of said support and slide members, a shaft whichextends through the sleeve of said other support and slide member intoengagement with the outer of said relatively slidable members, and asecond power cylinder and piston which is engaged to said shaft and bywhich the whole assembly supported by said sleeves of the support andslide members may be moved axially for axial adjustment of the positionof the print roll.

7. The structure claimed in claim 1 in which said support plates extenddownwardly at an angle relative to the support arms, a washerreceptacle, and means carried by the support arms for mounting thewasher receptacle disposed below the color.

8. The structure claimed in claim 1 including means for moving a colorbox and brush subassembly relative to its print roll comprising ends ofof power cylinders carried by said support plates respectively, theforward ends of the power cylinder piston rods being fixed to meansprojecting from the plates respectively, whereby the piston rods arestationary and the cylinders are moveable, and link means connecting theends of the color box to said cylinders respectively.

9. The structure claimed in claim 1 in which the color transfer meanscomprises a brush the axles of which extend through opposite ends of thecolor box, and clutch means interposed between one end of the brush axleand one of said link means, the other link means being connecteddirectly to an end of the color box.

1. In a cloth-printing machine comprising, a backing cylinder, a pair of spaced-parallel support arms extending radially with respect to the backing cylinder, each having a longitudinal slot and each comprising a support bar parallel to the slot and spaced laterally from the slot, a pair of support and slide members each comprising a sleeve and a portion disposed at a different level and apertured in a direction at right angles to the sleeve to receive and slide on the said bars respectively, said sleeves extending parallel to the backing cylinder in axial alignment and being adapted to extend through the slots in the support arms, means supported by said slide and support members on which the print roll mandrel may be placed and from which it may be lifted and removed from the machine, an axially movable drive shaft extending through one of the sleeves in axial alignment with one end of the mandrel, means for rotating the drive shaft, and means for moving the drive shaft into engagement with the mandrel and for moving the drive shaft out of engagement with the mandrel.
 2. The structure claimed in claim 1 in which each of the support arms comprises an elongated intermediate portion, defining the longitudinal slot through which the sleeve of the support and slide members extend, and end flanges extending substantially normal to the intermediate portion, the bars being supported between the flanges of said members respectively in spaced-parallel relation to the said intermediate portions of the arms, and below the slots defined by said intermediate portions respectively.
 3. The structure claimed in claim 1 in which the intermediate portion of the support arm has an angle member with a flange thereof extending downwardly adjacent the slot in the support arm, providing a stop and guideway within which is received a projection extending up from the periphery of the sleeve portion of the support and slide member which extends through said slot.
 4. The structure claimed in claim 1 in which the means for axially moving the drive shaft out of engagement with the mandrel is a power cylinder and piston, the piston having at its forward end means for engaging the opposed end of the drive shaft, and in which the forward end of the drive shaft extends through an inner sleeve which extends partly into and is supported by one of the sleeves defined by said support and slide members and its other end extends into and is supported by a support plate which is connected to and supported by said inner sleeve and is also connected to and supports a bearing housing adapted to receive a bearing carried on one of the mandrel ends, the inner end of said inner sleeve having therein a hearing through which the drive shaft extends, a worm gear housing supported at the outer end of the support and slide member, and an annular worm gear disposed within the housing and comprising a hub defining an axial passage aligned with the sleeve of the support and slide member and with the inner sleeve, the outer end of said drive shaft being disposed within the hub of the worm gear and keyed to it by axially extending key means, and means projecting from the outer end of the drive shaft for engagement with means carried at the forward end of the power cylinder piston rod.
 5. The structure claimed in claim 1 in which the end of the mandrel which is remote from the drive shaft is received in a bearing supported by a second support plate which is connected to one of two dovetailed members which are interengaged for rotary movement but slidable one with respect to the other to provide adjustment of the mandrel in a plane normal to the plane of the mandrel, the other of said dovetailed members being connected to the other of said Support and slide members, a shaft extending through the sleeve of the other of said support and slide members with its inner end extending into the other of said dovetailed members, the outer end of said shaft being connected to the piston rod of power cylinder means by which the mandrel and a print roll thereon may be adjusted in position axially.
 6. The structure claimed in claim 1 in which the pair of support and slide members support and carry with them during their movements on said bars toward and away from the backing cylinder, an assembly comprising, a pair of support plates spaced apart and each carrying a bearing housing to receive bearings carried at the ends of a mandrel respectively, a print roll and the mandrel by which it is mounted between said bearings, a color box and color transfer means suspended between the support plates, a washer-receptacle supported between the support plates and below the color box, the drive shaft, a worm gear housing connected to one of the support and slide members through which the shaft extends, and the power cylinder and piston which is attached to one end of the drive shaft, an inner sleeve the outer end of which is slidingly disposed within said one of the support and slide member, one of the support plates being carried at the inner end of said inner sleeve and the other of said support plates being connected to one member of a two-part dovetail member the parts of which are movable together for rotation and are relatively moveable for adjustment of the height of a mandrel end, the other member of said two-part member being connected to the other of said support and slide members, a shaft which extends through the sleeve of said other support and slide member into engagement with the outer of said relatively slidable members, and a second power cylinder and piston which is engaged to said shaft and by which the whole assembly supported by said sleeves of the support and slide members may be moved axially for axial adjustment of the position of the print roll.
 7. The structure claimed in claim 1 in which said support plates extend downwardly at an angle relative to the support arms, a washer receptacle, and means carried by the support arms for mounting the washer receptacle disposed below the color.
 8. The structure claimed in claim 1 including means for moving a color box and brush subassembly relative to its print roll comprising ends of of power cylinders carried by said support plates respectively, the forward ends of the power cylinder piston rods being fixed to means projecting from the plates respectively, whereby the piston rods are stationary and the cylinders are moveable, and link means connecting the ends of the color box to said cylinders respectively.
 9. The structure claimed in claim 1 in which the color transfer means comprises a brush the axles of which extend through opposite ends of the color box, and clutch means interposed between one end of the brush axle and one of said link means, the other link means being connected directly to an end of the color box. 